Oxidation of Luminol
by Kira and Maddy, THE DREAM TEAM of the beautiful canoes
Abstract: OXIDATION OF LUMINOL. Kira. The purpose of this experiment was to find out if food coloring had any effect on the color of the glow produced by the oxidation of luminol. Because fluorescent dyes are used to color glow sticks, one may presume that food coloring will do the same thing for the color of the oxidation of luminol, which is a similar reaction. The result hoped for was that the color of the glow would change. The results showed that food coloring does indeed affect the colors produced, neon more so than regular dyes. However, the glow produced by the photon emitted by the excited state product of the reaction is also dimmed, thus defeating the purpose of the glow in the first place. The significance of this is that food coloring may not replace costly fluorescent dyes in glow sticks. Key words: photon, chemiluminescence, luminol, oxidation reaction.
Results Table:
Food Coloring and Its Outcomes
Red
Green
Yellow
Neon yellow
Neon pink
Neon purple
Slightly purple- glowed a bit
Dark teal, barely glowed
Slightly teal, a bit darker
More teal than yellow but not quite teal, glowing
Pinkish purple, barely glowed
Dark, dark purple, glowed the least of all
Summary of Journal Article: In the Scientific American Magazine article “Seeing Forbidden Colors,” Vincent A. Billock and Brian H. Tsou explore the ideas of seeing the colors of reddish green and yellowish blues. The idea that people don’t see these color mixtures has been a very definite idea in science until now. In a 1983 experiment conducted by Hewitt D. Crane and Thomas P. Piantanida had their experimental subjects look at the colors of red and green or yellow and blue side by side. They used a kind of machinery that tracked the subjects’ eye movements and moved some mirrors in order to keep the colors stable compared to their eyes. Some of the subjects did admit to seeing the “forbidden colors,” but others saw strange textures made up of the colors that they were viewing. This experiment was not developed further, and scientists were loath to speak of it, seeing as it bypassed one very secure-seeming principle of science. However, the authors of this article decided to pursue the concept further. They repeated the experiment with some changes in apparatus. What they knew was that “(w)hen subjects stare at two adjacent fields with equiluminant colors, they see the border between the colors weaken and disappear, allowing the colors to flow into each other—except in the case of red-green or yellow-blue pairs” (Billock and Tsou, 75). They decided to test Crane and Piantanida’s theory using equiluminance and the stabilization of images, and six out of seven of their experimental subjects saw the so-called forbidden colors! From this, the researchers developed an idea of how “color opponency could arise in the brain without relying on hardwired subtraction” (75). Basically, neurons vie for the right to fire, and the neurons that do not win are not fired or expressed. If, however, the struggle is stopped, then the “forbidden colors” are able to exist. Later in the article, the authors explored the ideas around hallucinations and the way the brain processes flickering light. The brain seems to process hallucinations rather similarly to the effects of colors.
When picking this article, I was struck by the idea of seeing the forbidden colors and the combinations of colors in general. It is a terribly interesting topic, and seeing as Maddy and I are experimenting with the effect of food coloring on the blue glow produced by the oxidation of luminol, the combinations and changing of colors seem to relate. Hopefully, we will be able to explore more of the color change ideas in our experiment, and see what colors we can create!
Citation of Journal Article: Vincent A. Billock, Brian H. Tsou. Seeing Forbidden Colors. Scientific American Magazine. (303)1: 72-77.
Link to a video of a similar experiment: http://www.pbs.org/kcet/wiredscience/video/165-glow_stick.html
by Kira and Maddy, THE DREAM TEAM of the beautiful canoes
Abstract:
OXIDATION OF LUMINOL. Kira. The purpose of this experiment was to find out if food coloring had any effect on the color of the glow produced by the oxidation of luminol. Because fluorescent dyes are used to color glow sticks, one may presume that food coloring will do the same thing for the color of the oxidation of luminol, which is a similar reaction. The result hoped for was that the color of the glow would change. The results showed that food coloring does indeed affect the colors produced, neon more so than regular dyes. However, the glow produced by the photon emitted by the excited state product of the reaction is also dimmed, thus defeating the purpose of the glow in the first place. The significance of this is that food coloring may not replace costly fluorescent dyes in glow sticks. Key words: photon, chemiluminescence, luminol, oxidation reaction.
Results Table:
Summary of Journal Article:
In the Scientific American Magazine article “Seeing Forbidden Colors,” Vincent A. Billock and Brian H. Tsou explore the ideas of seeing the colors of reddish green and yellowish blues. The idea that people don’t see these color mixtures has been a very definite idea in science until now. In a 1983 experiment conducted by Hewitt D. Crane and Thomas P. Piantanida had their experimental subjects look at the colors of red and green or yellow and blue side by side. They used a kind of machinery that tracked the subjects’ eye movements and moved some mirrors in order to keep the colors stable compared to their eyes. Some of the subjects did admit to seeing the “forbidden colors,” but others saw strange textures made up of the colors that they were viewing. This experiment was not developed further, and scientists were loath to speak of it, seeing as it bypassed one very secure-seeming principle of science. However, the authors of this article decided to pursue the concept further. They repeated the experiment with some changes in apparatus. What they knew was that “(w)hen subjects stare at two adjacent fields with equiluminant colors, they see the border between the colors weaken and disappear, allowing the colors to flow into each other—except in the case of red-green or yellow-blue pairs” (Billock and Tsou, 75). They decided to test Crane and Piantanida’s theory using equiluminance and the stabilization of images, and six out of seven of their experimental subjects saw the so-called forbidden colors! From this, the researchers developed an idea of how “color opponency could arise in the brain without relying on hardwired subtraction” (75). Basically, neurons vie for the right to fire, and the neurons that do not win are not fired or expressed. If, however, the struggle is stopped, then the “forbidden colors” are able to exist. Later in the article, the authors explored the ideas around hallucinations and the way the brain processes flickering light. The brain seems to process hallucinations rather similarly to the effects of colors.
When picking this article, I was struck by the idea of seeing the forbidden colors and the combinations of colors in general. It is a terribly interesting topic, and seeing as Maddy and I are experimenting with the effect of food coloring on the blue glow produced by the oxidation of luminol, the combinations and changing of colors seem to relate. Hopefully, we will be able to explore more of the color change ideas in our experiment, and see what colors we can create!
Citation of Journal Article:
Vincent A. Billock, Brian H. Tsou. Seeing Forbidden Colors. Scientific American Magazine. (303)1: 72-77.
Link to a video of a similar experiment:
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/wiredscience/video/165-glow_stick.html